{"operation":"document","citation":"08-0135","title":"Safety & Compliance Associates, Inc. — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2008-09-08","effective_on":null,"summary":"08-0135 response to Safety & Compliance Associates, Inc. concerning 173.302a, 180.209.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0135.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0135.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-08-0135","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2008/080135.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nU.S. Department\nof Transportation\nPipeline and Hazardous\nMaterials Safety\nAdministration\n1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE\nWashington, D.C. 20590\nSEP 1 0 1008\nMike Lopez, JD\nPresident\nSafety & Compliance Associates, Inc.\nP.O. Box 48\nTrussville, AL 3 5 1 73\nRef. No.: 08-0 135\nDear Mr. Lopez:\nThis is in response to your April 2 1, 2008 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous\nMaterials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 1 7 1 - 180) applicable to marking cylinders. Your\nquestions are paraphrased and answered below.\nQl. Section 180.209(b)(3) requires the \"star\" marking following the most recent test date to\nbe obliterated if the cylinder is not in compliance with fj 180.209(b)(l)(ii). If a cylinder with\na \"star\" marking is filled while remaining in a cluster, bank, group, rack, or vehicle, but\nconforms with all other provisions of fj 180.209(b), is the \"star\" marking allowed to remain on\nthe cylinder?\nAl. Yes, the \"star\" may remain on the cylinder. However, bq not removing the cylinder from\nthe cluster, bank, etc., prior to each refilling as required by paragraphs (b)(l) introductory text\nand (b)(l)(iii) in fj 180.209, the cylinder no longer qualifies f ~ r the extended ten-year\nrequalification period. We plan to address the provisions in paragraph (b) in a future\nrulemaking action.\nQ2. Section 180.209(b)(3) requires the \"star\" marking, follobmg the most recent test date on\na cylinder that is no longer filled with the applicable gas in paragraph (b)(l)(ii), to be\nobliterated. May this be done by a person not holding a retester identification number if a\nretest is not required?\nA2. Yes.\n43. If the cylinder in Q2 is required to be requalified, is it acceptable to leave the \"star\"\nmarking on the cylinder and not add a \"star\" marking following the new retest date'?\nA3. Yes.\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\nQ4. Section 173.302a(b) does not contain a similar provision to obliterate \"plus\" markings.\nTherefore, if a DOT 3AA cylinder in nitrogen service that has both a \"star\" and \"plus\"\nmarking is converted to carbon dioxide service before the expiration of the retest period, is the\n\"star\" marking required to be obliterated, while the \"plus\" marking remains?\nA4. Yes. However, if the gas is liquefied carbon dioxide, the cylinder may not be overfilled\nin accordance with 9 1 73.302a(b).\nI hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to\ncontact this office.\nSincerelv.\nHattie L. Mitchell\nChief, Regulatory Review and Reinvention\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n\n<<<PAGE 3>>>\n\nSafety & Compliance Associates, Inc.\nP.O. Box 48, Trussville, AL 351 73\nPhone: 205-853-9874 EMail: scalopez@wwisp.com\nApril 21, 2008\nU S Department of Transportation\nOffice of Hazardous Materials Standards\n400 7th Street SW, DHM-18\nWashington, DC 20210\nAttention: Director of Hazardous Materials Standards\nQ1. Q2. Q3. §180.209(b)(3) requires a \"star\" marking following the most recent test date to be\nobliterated if (b)(l)(ii) is not complied with. However, there is no requirement nor\nauthorization to obliterate a \"star\" marking for noncompliance with other provisions of\n180.209(b). In fact, §180.213(b)(2) forbids obliterating a previous requalification mark\nunder any circumstances other than lack of additional marking space. Therefore, if a\ncylinder bearing the \"star\" mark following the most recent test date is filled in a cluster,\nbank, group, rack, or vehicle, but complies with all other provisions of 180.209(b), should\nthe \"star\" mark remain on the cylinder?\n§180.209(b)(3) appears to authorize the person who fills a cylinder no longer conforming\nto (b)(l)(ii) to obliterate a \"star\" following the most recent test date, even if that person\ndoes not hold a valid RIN. (If the cylinder were due for periodic requalification, the\nauthorized retester would simply refrain from applyiqg a \"star\" mark after the cylinder is\ntested and marked, so there would be no need to obliterate the previous \"star\".) Is this\ncorrect?\nThere is no similar requirement nor authorization to obliterate a \"plus\" mark for cylinders\nno longer in conformance with §173.302a(b). Therefore, if a DOT3AA cylinder used in\nnitrogen service is properly requalified and marked for 10% overfill with the \"plus\" mark\nand 10-year requalification schedule with the \"star\" mark, and is subsequently converted\nto carbon dioxide service before the expiration of the retest period, is it your intention\nthat the \"star\" mark be obliterated but the \"plus\" mark remain on the cylinder?\nThank you for your prompt response.\nVery truly yours,\nMike ~ o p e z ! ~ ~ , President\nSafety & Compliance Associates, Inc.","truncated":false,"body_characters":4627}